The Emerald Trio
by earoozoo
Summary: Hermione, Harry, and Ron are in Slytherin - and each of them are following brutal orders from Voldemort. What happens when Hermione falls for Gryffindor King, Draco Malfoy? Will the tides turn in these dark times? Or will the world fall into eternal damning darkness? - Dramione Fanfic -
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Hermione awoke with a gasp in the confines of her four-poster bed at Hogwarts, a cold sweat covering her body. The dank chill in the Slytherin rooms didn't help her stop shaking, and she knew that if she looked down at her hands they would be trembling like leaves in a winter gale. With a shaky breath, she brushed her hair back from her sweat-covered face, and tried desperately to regulate her breathing again.

Nightmares had become common for Hermione, her mind conjuring awful images of those she loved most dead at her feet, blood covering her palms, the Dark Lord standing up high looking down at her with cold apathy that she was completely familiar with. Indeed, Hermione Granger was fully aware of how Voldemort functioned.

Being a Slytherin, Hermione was naturally clever and cunning, but not enough to extricate herself out of the desperate and delicate situation she had somehow found her way into. It was really no surprise, she often found herself thinking, given her heritage and her intelligence, that Voldemort had sought her out to immediately blackmail her after his embarrassment with the Malfoy fiasco all those years ago.

Despite this, she tried as hard as she could to push the thoughts to the back of her mind so she could re-establish her control over her composure. She refused to stick her head out of her curtains looking pale and washed out and sweaty, as she knew she did. Snatching her wand from her side where she kept it as she slept (a habit she could not break after the night where someone once woke her with a bucket of freezing water), she hastily fixed up her hair and pallor. It was time to face the day, and, as always, she would have to do it with a mask on.

She rose from the bed, swishing back the green curtains to find Ginny already gone from her bed. It was either that, or she had never returned to it the night before – Hermione, being the intuitive person she was, had noticed Ginny's absences and made a connection to a Gryffindor boy, though who it was, she could not say. They were obviously keeping it down low, and Hermione felt no need to nose her way into the problem what with all her own problems jumping out at her all the time.

She padded on bare feet over the smooth stone to the bathroom, where she brushed her teeth and splashed her face with ice water to wake up. Nightmares did unfortunately have the effect of making her feel drained the next day, but it was nothing she wasn't used to. Mentally, she went over what needed to be done during the day:

_I need to give my Arithmancy assignment to Sinistra, get my Transfiguration paper to McGonagall, make a call to the Dark Lord to inform him that no news has come in regards to Harry or the Malfoys…_

That last part was not entirely true, and she feared what punishment she could receive if she were found out to be lying. However, she was aware of the fact that there was actually no _major_ news, per se, about either of those to parties. Sure, Draco had recently returned from Paris after a trip with his parents, more defiant and upstanding than ever in his Gryffindor King title. Harry, her best friend and co-Slytherin house mate, had definitely been doing some digging into the mysterious death of his parent's, but there was nothing to worry about there. If he had found something, she would more than likely be the first to know.

She worried about Harry constantly, and what would happen when eventually he did find out the truth about his parent's death. Voldemort had done an outstanding job maintaining the lie that Sirius had killed both his parents, and Voldemort and Snape had taken Harry in as a kindness (though how anyone could possibly believe the Dark Lord had a shred of kindness in his heart, she did not know). Hermione and Snape, as far as she was concerned, were the only ones who knew the true nature of Lily and James Potter's deaths.

Her stomach rolled at the thought, and she shook herself in order to get rid of the thoughts that were rising to the surface. Secret upon secret upon secret. That was what her life had become. She was beginning to wonder how much longer it would take for her to break, to either give Harry the information he needed or to fold completely to Voldemort's will and tell him everything he needed on the Malfoy's so he could blackmail them as well and get them into his circle.

She thought back to all those years ago, when she had just entered the Wizarding world, when the Malfoy's had denied Voldemort in order to protect their son from the touch of the twisted mind that was the Dark Lord. It had led to Voldemort going into hiding, something the world hadn't seen coming. Hermione had assumed at the time that it was only a matter of patience and a few strategic connections before the Dark Lord would return. She had been right, but she hadn't expected the Dark Lord to turn to her, with the threat of murdering her Muggle parents on his tongue. How could she have said no? She had no choice but to obey, to keep her defenseless and blissfully ignorant parents safe in their Muggle world.

Hermione sighed, noting briefly how thin she had gotten as pressure with both school and her duties to Voldemort had gotten heavier. Nonetheless, she knew she must endure.

Returning to her bed, she yanked on her uniform, perfectly tying her green Slytherin tie. She grabbed her Potions books and headed into the common room, where she knew Harry and Ron would be waiting for her.

"About time you got out of bed," commented Ron, smirking slightly at her. His red hair stood out starkly against the green setting of the common room.

"Give her a break, have you see how hard she's been working herself?" Harry, quick to her defense as always. It made her heart twinge with guilt at the thought of turning over information on his daily routine to the Dark Lord.

"I was finishing the Transfiguration assignment," she commented as they headed out of the portrait door and towards the Potions rooms. "It required more research than I had thought. I needed at least ten good sources for the paper, rather than five."

Ron's eyebrows shot into the sky. "Ten? I only have two! Ah, well. I gave up on being as smart as you in second grade."

Hermione grinned. They walked in silence the rest of the way to the Potions rooms, their footsteps echoing off the walls in the magnificent hallways that dominated Hogwarts. When they finally arrived, Hermione noted that a pair of silver-grey eyes was yet again following her to her seat in the second row. She ignored it, as she always did, putting it down to Draco being jealous of the fact that she had beat him in everything and always maintained her number one place in Hogwarts.

"Silence all," murmured Professor Snape. "Let us begin."

* * *

Draco sat at the back of the class with Blaise Zabini, his eyes following the tousle of honeyed curls as she seated herself in the second row. _As predictable as ever_, he thought absently to himself.

"Stop staring at her, Draco. Chances are she can feel your eyes burning into the back of her head." Blaise chuckled, twirling his quill in his hand.

Draco scowled at his friend. "You know I can't help it. It's just _her_, Blaise. She's it for me. We've had this conversation." He slumped in his seat. "It's exhausting, you know. Having all these _feelings_ and God knows what."

Blaise nodded and raised his dark eyes to the front of the classroom as Snape walked in through the door, slamming it shut behind him.

"Today I will be assigning groups for the assignment that is due in precisely two weeks time. You are expected to analyze and illustrate the uses of powdered unicorn horn in various potions. I expect at _least_ three examples. Understood?"

The class nodded their understanding, and Snape's eyes scanned across the room, hesitating on the golden boy, Harry Potter.

Draco snarled. _Harry bloody Potter_. Ever since they had started at Hogwarts, right from the moment he was sorted into Slytherin, Potter had been nothing but an irritation to Draco. They always turned heads with their fierce competition in the Quidditch matches, but the one thing Draco prided himself on was the fact that his grades were far superior to Potter's. He did, however, envy Potter for his continuously close proximity to Hermione. No doubt they would be partnered together on the basis that Snape never allowed Harry to fail his class.

"Malfoy, are you paying attention?" Snape called.

Draco nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Very well. Now, pay attention. The list is up on the board. Please move yourselves with expediency to sit next to your assigned partner." Snape waved his wand and the list appeared.

When Draco found his name, his jaw dropped and he felt Blaise nudge him. No way was this happening.

* * *

Hermione brought her tired eyes to the board in front of her and her brows creased in confusion. _I'm partnered with Malfoy?_ She took a brief look at Snape and caught his pensive eyes resting on her. She glanced down at her books as she gathered them together to move to the back of the class.

"What the hell? Ron and I are going to fail without your help, Hermione!" Harry pouted at her, his green eyes shining behind his glasses. His tie made them even brighter than usual. The two boys were, of course, partnered together. Snape made no secret of his favoritism.

She shrugged. "Teacher's orders. Not much I can do, boys." Nonetheless, she shot them a look that subtly said she would help them regardless.

As she stood, she noticed Malfoy's piercing silver-grey eyes on her face. Her breath left her in a huff and she found herself standing dumbly in the middle of the class, unmoving, simply because she had never noticed how dazzling they were until now.

"Miss Granger, have you misplaced your over-sized brain? Sit down, please," Snape murmured behind her.

Without turning, she hurriedly made her way to the seat Blaise had previously been occupying. A blush had spread over her cheeks as she set her books down on the table, accidentally bumping elbows with Draco. She saw him clench his hand into a fist. _He thinks of me as nothing more than a filthy Slytherin_. Her Slytherin pride kicked in and she immediately sat up straighter, narrowing her sight onto Snape as he began outlining their lecture for the day. She was better than him, and she knew it. She was on the Dark Lord's right hand side, and though she did not want to be voluntarily, it did place her in a position of power. Besides, she needed more information on the Malfoy's, and this was the perfect opportunity. She would milk this for all its worth, as long as it saved her parents.

* * *

Draco clenched his hand into a fist at the brush of her elbow against his arm. Her scent – cinnamon and dark chocolate, he thought – engulfed him and he felt his pulse skyrocket. _God, she's so close. _He knew he could reach out and touch those caramel curls, but she was focused solely on Snape, taking notes in neat cursive writing.

His own page was blank, but that was fine. He could hear all that Snape was saying and it was ingrained on his mind, along with the scent of the woman sitting next to him.

The entire class, he did not write a single word, and yet he knew all that had been said – about the properties and uses of the wolfsbane potion. He could easily recall it and write it down later. His memory was something he prided himself on, and it had gotten him nearly to the top of the school's honors list – nearly. Granger had maintained a number one placement for their year level since her first year at Hogwarts. At first, when he had met her when they were eleven, he had thought her a snobby Slytherin, intelligent and devious in equal measure. However, he had seen her and the others grow throughout the years.

Potter was a twat, but there was the mystery of his parent's death and his close relationship with Snape that made Draco wonder whether there was more there. On occasion, he would see Potter's green eyes turn dark with anger and barely concealed rage. At those times, only his girlfriend, a Ravenclaw called Luna Lovegood, could talk to him and make him return to his usual self. Draco often wondered if it had anything to do with Voldemort; he knew the Dark Lord's connection to Snape, and wondered if that had anything to do with Potter.

Weasley was a good keeper, but he a dimwitted. Despite this, his loyalty to his friends was unquestionable, and he loved them without holding back. It was something not often seen in Slytherin relationships – they were often only friends with people for power or the nature of their position. The famed Emerald Trio was different.

And then there was Granger; the beautiful Hermione, whom Draco had followed with his eyes for all his years at Hogwarts. He had hated her, and then he had grown to love her. He had watched her get thinner and frailer over the past few weeks, something he was deeply concerned about. He knew she was consistently worrying – she always bit her lip when she was anxious about anything, and recently it was bleeding more and more often from constant chewing. He had watched her become more distant and colder, yet seemingly more determined. To do what? He did not know, and he probably never would. Nonetheless, he watched, and he fretted for her. And yet, he could not say a thing. If he did, the nature of his feelings would be revealed to her. Was he brave enough to do it? _Soon_, he thought to himself. _Soon, she can know_.

At the end of the lesson, Hermione hastily packed up and was about to rush out of the room when Draco spoke.

"Granger, can I have a word? Just about the assignment." His voice was deep and dark, a contrast to his noticeably light appearance.

She turned and met his silver eyes. "Yes?"

Draco ruffled his hair and then pushed it out of his eyes. "Um… Do you want to meet in the library tomorrow evening to get started? I know a few decent books that we could take a look at."

She nodded, her mind elsewhere – she needed to report to the Dark Lord. "Of course. I'll meet you there after dinner."

Before Draco could nod, she had turned and sprinted out of the dungeons, racing to the Slytherin common room and the safety of her bed. Harry and Ron tried to wave her down in the common room, but she tossed an excuse of needing to finish reading an Arithmancy chapter and shouldered her way into her room, closing the door behind her.

She closed her eyes and exhaled a deep breath, thankful for being alone in the dorm for the moment. Hurriedly, she cast a locking charm on the door and a silencing spell. Dumping her books on her side table, she ducked over to the fire. She had made sure it went unchecked by Dumbledore; casting a concealment charm so powerful she'd even surprised herself. She supposed that was how desperate she was – she _needed_ to keep her parents alive.

Hermione waved her wand to connect with the fireplace she knew was in Voldemort's study in the Riddle mansion, and stuck her head through. Before her stood the imperious figure of the Dark Lord, his arms behind his back and his cold red eyes staring down at her.

"What news about Harry and the Malfoy's?" he hissed in that high, cold voice that haunted her nightmares.

"No news on Harry, my Lord. He is focused on school only. However, there has been a development with the Malfoy's. Snape has partnered Draco and I together for a Potions assignment," Hermione said, trying her hardest to keep her voice steady and not show him weakness.

Voldemort raised an eyebrow and smiled a malicious smile. "Snape is clever. Good. Use this to get more information on the family. I need not remind you of the price you will pay if you fail me, Hermione."

She nodded, her mouth set in a firm line. She withdrew from the fireplace and breathed in the cool air of the dungeons.

It was a good two minutes before she registered the fact that someone was banging on the bedroom door, and she waved her wand, silently removing the two spells she had placed previously.

Ginny Weasley walked in, her long red hair swung over one shoulder. "What were you doing?" she asked innocently.

"Just calling my mother and father," she answered casually, standing from the fire. "Where were you last night? You didn't come back to the dorm."

Ginny blushed furiously, her face nearly as red as her hair. "I was… I just… It's…" she sputtered, tripping over her words before finally blurting out a sentence in a massive jumble: "I-was-up-in-Gryffindor-tower-with-Blaise."

Hermione stood there for a moment, her mind blank. _Yet another secret to keep_, was all she could think. "I had a feeling you were with a Gryffindor boy. But Blaise? Ginny, you know you can't associate with him. Your family are in too precarious a position. If anyone found out… If it got back to the Dark Lord…" Hermione need say no more; Ginny had paled noticeably.

Her red-headed friend sat down on her bed and buried her head in her hands, letting out a hopeless moan. "I know, Hermione. But I am completely in love with him." Ginny looked up, desperation on her face and tears in her eyes. "You can tell no one. I'm begging you, just look the other way."

Hermione knelt in front of her friend, straightening the other girl's tie. "I won't tell a soul, Gin. You know I won't. Just be careful, all right? If Ron found out, he would kill both of us for putting the family at risk."

The Weasley family was indeed in a precarious situation – Ron had told Hermione and Harry only, and no one else in the school was aware. His family had been forced to accept a deal with Voldemort, lest the Weasley's would like to see all their children dead before their feet. It was the ultimate threat to Molly and Arthur, and they'd had no choice but to accept. The deal was that, in time, they had to find a way to turn over the Malfoy's to Voldemort. Hermione had been so tempted to reveal the nature of her own task to her friends, but she knew the dangers involved in sharing secrets, and so she had stilled her tongue.

In addition to this, Harry had revealed his past with Voldemort and Snape to herself and Ronald, as well as Luna, his loving girlfriend. He had thought for the first twelve years of his life that Sirius Black had killed his parents and himself in a massive explosion that had torn apart their home in Godric's Hollow. However, in their second year at Hogwarts, the trio had uncovered something disturbing – a secret file from Voldemort's vaults that Harry had snuck through on a whim, wanting to see if there was more information on Sirius. He had discovered the post-mortem report on his parents, and had found that both had been struck down with the Killing Curse, not the explosion itself. Since then, he had been doing some subtle digging in addition to his tasks for his surrogate family of Voldemort and Snape, something that not many people knew. Voldemort had brought him up with the idea of getting him to infiltrate the Ministry, and Harry had been all too happy to do this in order to avenge his parents somehow, until he had discovered the post-mortems. He was torn. Hermione had again had to hold her tongue, and not reveal her own tasks the Dark Lord had set her.

There was a reason the Emerald Trio had ended up in Slytherin: they were fabulous liars, able to warp the truth, and they were all determined to survive. It appeared that, when they were sorted, the Sorting Hat had seen these features and deemed them a part of the green and silver House. On occasion, Hermione wondered if she would be better off in Ravenclaw, but she always remembered her position with Voldemort and knew her home was with the Slytherins. How could she be anywhere else?

Hermione came back to the present, where she was absently brushing tears from Ginny's face. "It will be okay. Trust me," she was saying. _Oh, if only that were true,_ she thought to herself, Harry's face and Draco's silver eyes flashing through her mind. _If only that were true_.


	2. Chapter 2

Draco wandered to Potions, ashamed to admit that he was a ball of nervous energy at the prospect of working with Granger. He had noticed her changing, the way one watched over a flower. Except she had bloomed in a rather sad manner; she had started off as glowing, intelligent, focused beyond belief and absolutely infuriating. From the fifth year of Hogwarts that they had shared together, however, her spark had depleted, and Draco had watched from afar as her flame went from scorching to barely existing. Of course, there was still fight in her - he saw that when she argued with Pansy Parkinson in Charms about who had done what about something that he hadn't really been paying attention to. But when she was arguing her stance was the only time he saw her eyes burn the way they used to, their hazel lightening to an almost ferocious shade of gold.

As he walked into Snape's dungeon classroom, he spotted her bent over Weasley and Potter's desk, clearly helping them with something or rather related to the assignment before the presiding teacher appeared. Draco silently took his assigned seat next to her in the back row, where he and Blaise normally sat, and watched her thin shoulders move as she spoke in hushed tones to her Slytherin friends. Her caramel curls were limp this morning, duller than before, and he noticed that her shoulder blades were rather unhealthily protruding from her back.

"Miss Granger, would you be so kind so as to leave Harry and Ronald to their assignment and attend to yours with Mister Malfoy, please," Snape said in a low, monotonous voice.

Granger jumped and looked behind her, where Severus had appeared. "Sorry sir," she mumbled. She hurried to her seat and took her place next to Draco, not even bothering to look at him.

"I have no doubt that Harry and Ronald will be calling upon your assistance later," murmured Snape in an amused tone. It was the first time Draco had ever heard the teacher make mild fun of his star pupil. He felt a rush of happiness at the red blush that spread up Weasley's neck, almost melding with his shock of red hair.

"I will be leaving you to your own devices today whilst I mark these abysmal assignments my fifth years have turned in. No speaking to anyone other than your partner. Anymore interaction between groups this class will have the deadline moved forward." Snape seated himself at his desk, shot a glance at Draco for some odd reason, then went to mark his papers.

Draco frowned. That glance had been unreadable, and he didn't know why but it made him feel uncertain.

He turned towards Granger, shrugging off the look Snape had given him, and was about to ask her what she thought their first example on the uses of powdered unicorn horn ought to be when he noticed how she was sitting.

She was hunched over the table, her book open but her eyes unseeing. She was staring off into somewhere far away, her eyes blank. Her cheekbones cast a harsh shadow over her face, and her eye sockets were almost visible in her gaunt appearance. Looking down at her hands, he saw they were clenched into tight fists, so tight that her knuckles were white. The muscles in her wrists were taught, and her entire body seemed to be drawn like a bowstring. He felt that if he even breathed on her, she would collapse in on herself.

Draco didn't know what to do. Should he talk to her? He had never seen such a haunted look on her face before, had never seen her under such stress even when their OWLs were brought forward one term in fourth grade. Something was deeply wrong, and a huge part of Draco wished to share her burden, to lighten her load and help her. But how does one approach that?

Resolving himself to attempt to assist her, Draco slowly reached out and brushed his fingers across her knuckles. He nearly jumped out of his skin when her hand suddenly flexed open at his touch, her elegant fingers stiffened.

"What are you doing?" she whispered, her eyes still unmoving.

"Trying to help you. Trying to wake you up," he clumsily explained, a slight blush spreading over his cheeks. He was not used to helping women in emotional situations, but he knew that for Hermione he would try. "What's wrong?" he finally asked.

After a long moment, Hermione's eyes lighted on Draco's, curiosity and wariness present in her stare. "Why would you care? I'm just a Slytherin to you," she replied.

Draco scowled internally. Of course, she didn't know the true extent of the years of his admiration of her. Outwardly, he let a soft smile grace his face. "I'm your partner here. I can be your friend here too, if you wouldn't mind, Granger."

Hermione's eyes widened slightly in disbelief, then regained their cool stare. Draco wasn't even sure the disbelief had been present, the shift was so smooth. "Very well, Malfoy. We can be partners here, and we'll see about friends later, shall we?"

She seemed to come partially alive again after this, diving into active discussion with him about the various properties of powdered unicorn horn, how it was acquired, how the cost impacted on potion making, and which examples were possibly the best to use in their assignment. Draco was thoroughly impressed on her knowledge, and for once realized that it was actually a pleasure to deal with someone whose intelligence was on equal footing with his. By the end of the lesson, they had already sorted out which examples were to be used, and how their assignment would be set out. Hermione also decided that some illustrations would be necessary, and had already selected a few imaged from their Potions book to be used.

"Wonderful," she stated. "We should have this done by next week if we keep working at this pace." For the first time all week, Draco saw a small smile grace her face, and felt his heart skip a beat at the thought that perhaps, just maybe, he was responsible for such a reaction.

"Shall I see you tonight in the library?" he blurted as she started putting her books away in preparation for departing the room.

Hermione looked at him blankly for a moment, then clearly recalled their conversation from the day before. She nodded, her curls bobbing with the movement of her head. "Of course, Malfoy. I'll be there around eight o'clock, after dinner."

With another curt nod in his direction, and a whisper of a smile, she left, and Draco could not help but let his eyes follow her out of the room.

He didn't even realize that Blaise was standing next to him as he looked after her.

"Y'know," said Blaise loudly, startling Draco, "you look anymore like a love sick puppy and Potter and Weasley might just finally have something over you."

Draco smirked at his best friend, casually hiding the anxiety that perhaps he was right. "As if those two could ever have anything over me! I'm Gryffindor King, remember?"

Blaise snorted. "Yeah, got a lot of that Gryffindor pride in your fat head, too."

Draco could not help but punch Blaise in the arm as they left the room after Pansy Parkinson. He found himself barely able to contain his anticipation at being with Hermione in the library.

* * *

Hermione blindly wandered back towards the Slytherin common rooms to prepare herself for her next class: Arithmancy. At least this subject was straight forward and understandable, where there was always one answer and she could never make a mistake.

She couldn't believe she'd let herself zone out like that in Potions before, much less in front of the boy she was supposed to be getting information on. She mulled over their conversation in the class, and realized that their intellects were essentially equally matched. It surprised her, despite the fact that she knew Drace was always right on her heels for the student with the highest marks in Hogwarts. She thought again of what he had said. "I'm your friend here," she repeated under her breath, with an uneasiness growing in her chest. What if they really did become friends? Yes, they were from opposing Houses and the rivalry was nearly unmatched between Draco and Harry, but Draco was smart, open, and quite kind, she realized. Typical Gryffindor traits, but not ones she'd expected to be shown by the platinum blond Gryffindor King. It was ironic, almost, that they had both earned nicknames from their houses, he being the King and Hermione being the Slytherin Princess. She hated the title but it stuck to her like super glue, to the point that even Ron and Harry occasionally called her Princess as well.

"Legilimens," she said to the portrait that was the entrance to the Slytherin common rooms.

"Correct, you may enter," it replied, swinging open with a creak.

Hermione stepped through the door and made a quick trip up to her room to gather her Arithmancy books. Lost in thought on her way out, she nearly bowled over Luna and Harry as they entered the common room.

"Careful there, Princess," laughed Harry.

Hermione shot him a playful scowl, then greeted Luna. "It's been a while since you've been down to visit us in the dungeons," she observed.

Luna smiled at her in the usual dreamy fashion. "The damp gets to me sometimes, but I thought I could sit by the fire with Harry for a while." She absentmindedly played with a strand of her blond hair.

Harry took her hand and turned to Hermione. "Also, sorry you had to spend all that time with the Ferret today. Do you think you'd be able to help Ron and I with out assignment tonight, then?" he asked, his head cocked to one side.

She cringed internally. "Sorry, Harry. Draco is forcing me to meet him in the library later to do more work on the project. Wouldn't want to upset the Gryffindor King, now, would we," she said sarcastically.

Her friend laughed and nodded in understanding. "We'll see you later then," he replied, then walked away towards the burning fire at the far end of the Slytherin common room.

Hermione managed to get through Arithmancy with a remnant of her old focus, answering all of the Professor's questions with relative ease. She found solace in the fact that Arithmancy always had one answer, and it gave her peace of mind to know that at least she could solve some of life's problems with ease, unlike the actual problems she faced currently in her situation.

Before she knew it, she was on her way to the library to meet Draco after dinner, her Potions books in her hand and her tumble of curls tied up in a high pony tail.

She saw Malfoy's shock of platinum blond hair just outside the library door, where he stood by himself, rocking back and forth on his heels as his eyes scanned over the paintings on the opposite wall, a soft smile occasionally gracing his face as the portraits moved or spoke amongst themselves.

She blushed when he spotted her walking towards him, for whatever reason, and realized that she was utterly familiar with the feel of his silver eyes gazing in her direction. How had that happened? How had she adjusted to that? Sure, she had noticed his eyes tracking her around the place sometimes, but she figured it had always been his dislike of Slytherin students. She realized now that, since he wanted to befriend her, it could be another reason altogether, a reason that for some reason made her stomach twist, but not in anxiety. Rather, it was a feeling of potential.

"Thanks for coming," Draco said as she came into earshot.

"Why wouldn't I?" she asked, a little confused.

He shrugged. "Slytherin's normally avoid Gryffindors like the plague is all."

She didn't quite know how to respond to this statement of fact, and so she nodded and walked into the library, listening to his footsteps as he followed her trek towards the back of the large room stuffed with shelves and books so old the pages were nearly sand.

They took their seats in the far right hand corner of the room next to a window, where soft light played on Draco's golden hair. Hermione had no idea why she was noticing such a thing, and felt a flush spread over her cheeks as she opened her book to the drawing of the unicorn horn she had completed before dinner in her break.

Draco looked over and nodded approvingly. "Excellent. You're quite skilled with drawing," he stated simply.

Hermione sat in stunned silence - a compliment? How unusual to come from a Gryffindor. He was treating her like she was a normal human being, something quite strange. She shook her head to clear the confused fog settling over her, shifting her focus to the Potions assignment as well as the fact that Voldemort would be expecting some form of information on the Malfoy's within the next day. The idea of conversing with the Dark Lord made a cold sweat run out over her body.

"Shall we get going then?" she asked abruptly, plonking down a heavy volume she had selected from the Potions section as they had walked by.

"With pleasure," replied Draco.

They spent the next few hours poring over different texts, investigating in greater detail than necessary the various aspects of unicorn horns in potions. Hermione found solace in Draco's intelligence, again noting the ease with which they worked together.

Two hours into their study, Draco decided they should take a break and produced two chocolate brownies from his bag. They sat in comfortable silence while they ate the brownies. It was then that Hermione decided she should start prompting Draco to talk about his family - she hadn't forgotten her mission by any means.

"So, did your mother make these brownies? Rumor has it that she always sends you sweets every week with your owl," Hermione said, smirking a little.

Draco gave her a charmingly lopsided smile, then nodded. "Yeah, she tends to be a little over-bearing and she misses me when I'm not home. She always says Dad's too focused on his work in the Ministry."

Hermione nodded. "What does your dad do?"

"He works in the Auror sector of the ministry, helping to manage the defence of the Wizarding world against the Death Eaters and the like."

Hermione was admittedly surprised at how liberal he was with his information, given that she was Slytherin and all. Normally, the other Houses shied away from such subject discussion due to the tenuous nature of politics at the moment, and the way Death Eaters were causing havoc in various parts of the Wizarding world. They were naturally suspicious of the Slytherin's, what with the history of the House and its relation to the Dark Lord. He was surprisingly relaxed talking to Hermione, also - slouching slightly in his chair, ankles crossed and arms resting casually on the arms of his chair.

She nodded in interest. "What is the recent news from the Ministry on that, by the way?" she asked, despite knowing every movement down to a tee.

Draco raised his eyebrows, evidently surprised at the question. "Would have thought you'd know that kind of thing, Granger. But recently there was an attack on a local town by Death Eaters - it was burned to the ground and the Muggles there were found hovering in the air with their scalps having been cut off. The Obliviation team had much difficulty with that one, or so my father told me."

Hermione cringed, remembering the images from The Prophet reporting that particular news story.

"Enough about me," Draco said, interrupting her train of thought. "Tell me about your family."

She felt her face pale slightly and tried to recover herself by putting a small smile on her face, but it was too late - Draco had immediately noticed her discomfort, and she could see this in the crease that had appeared between his brows as he frowned slightly.

"Is there something going on with your family, Granger? Not that it's my place to be asking," he hastily corrected.

She shook her head. "Oh, it's nothing. I just worry about them a lot, what with all the Muggle hunting that's been going on recently. I feel like they might just get hit one day and I don't know how to protect them," she admitted. It was true, definitely, but she left out the part of the Dark Lord's threat.

"What about Obliviation?" Draco suggested seriously, leaning forward in his chair. "You could wipe their memories and send them away to a place like Australia that's barely been touched by the political unrest in the Wizarding world. After this is over, because we all know a war is coming soon, you could go and lift the spell and bring them back to their home. It would be hard but they would be safe."

Hermione sat there silently for a moment, stock still. Draco was suggesting things that would keep her family safe? Unusual, that he would even care. She did remember, however, that his mother had been quite outspoken on Muggle and Mudblood rights in the Wizarding world, given that her sister had married a Muggle man. "I've thought about it," she admitted, "but I could never send them away like that. What if something went wrong with the spell? What if it took too long and I couldn't lift it anymore? I could lose them forever."

Draco nodded, and sat back in his chair. "That's true, it is an issue with Temporary Obliviation."

They sat in shared silence for a while longer, each thinking about various issues. Hermione knew she'd be able to tell the Dark Lord that Lucius Malfoy was investigating the Death Eater attacks, but it wasn't the new he was looking for. She knew he was looking for the home of the Malfoy's, hoping to locate their residency so they would be able to attack them where they slept, but the Malfoy's had the world's best defense system in action, which made their residency literally invisible to the rest of the world, and also made it impossible for anyone to follow them to their home. She knew that was the information he would want. The thought of her parents brought her determination - she'd get that information and save them, even if it cost her everything.

Three hours later, they had finished all their research that was needed, as well as a good three quarters of the illustrations they would be requiring for the paper. It was decided that they could start writing the paper in tomorrow's Potions class at the end of the day.

Draco led the way out of the library and into the corridor, where the dusty smell of books faded. He turned to Hermione and offered her that same lopsided smile she had received before, the one that made her heart stutter a little. His silver eyes were intense on her hazel ones, and they stood there for a moment, just looking at one another.

Hermione felt herself blush and she looked down at her feet when she realized she was starting to notice how delicate Draco's face was, with high cheekbones and a few stray strands of platinum blond hair brushing his forehead. His eyes were perfectly almond shaped, and she noticed they crinkled a little in the corners whenever he smiled. His nose was a little crooked from when Harry had punched him in their third year of schooling in the heat of a Qudditch match, and his lips were pink, his bottom lip slightly bigger than his top.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Granger," Draco said quietly.

Hermione looked up again and offered him a small smile. She saw Draco frown and then gently reach out with his hand towards her face. He gently brushed a curl of her caramel hair out of her eyes and tucked it behind her ears. Hermione swore her heart nearly stopped, just as it had earlier when he had touched her hand in Potions.

"Bye," she whispered, turning from him quickly to hide her blush as she walked hurriedly towards the staircase that led down to the Slytherin common rooms. What the hell was it about the bloody Gryffindor King getting her heartrate going? What was up with the physical reaction she had to his company? She shook her head, shoving it off as spending too much time with him today.

* * *

What she didn't see was Draco still standing outside the library, his silver eyes following the bounce of her small frame as she went down the stairs, his mind drifting to the shade of pink her cheeks had turned when he'd unthinkingly brushed the hair off her face.

He knew he would dream about her again tonight.

* * *

Hermione quietly stepped into the Slytherin common room, in the hope that she would be able to avoid everyone and get to her room to contact her Master, but she was intercepted by Harry and Ron the moment she stepped through the door.

"How was your session with the Ferret?" Ron asked, a smirk on his face.

She offered them a half-hearted shrug. "We've almost finished the assignment. Hopefully I won't have to spend much more time with Malfoy," she lied, faking a cringe.

Harry nodded absently. He was staring into the fire as if he weren't really present in the conversation. It was clear his mind was elsewhere. Figuring that her call to the Dark Lord could wait a moment, she took a seat on the carpeted floor in front of the fire, letting the heat thaw her veins after the cold walk down to the dungeons.

"What's on your mind?" she addressed Harry, placing her books gently at her feet.

Harry looked up, and it was clear from his eyes that something major had happened. "The Dark Lord contacted me today. He's asked me to send a cordial letter to Fudge and the Prophet regarding an interview about the death of my parents. He wants me to re-assert the fame of my story," he replied in a monotonous tone.

Hermione went tense, knowing that it was a lot to ask of Harry. He didn't particularly enjoy the interviews with the Prophet, as their reporters were incredibly nosy and often depicted him as a weakened child who had grown strong in the face of adversity and was the hero of the Wizarding world, in that his parent's death had made not one but two major Wizarding criminals disappear. Sirius was the assumed killer of the Potter's, and as Harry's godfather it added an immense level of drama to the situation. Hermione also knew that Voldemort had timed his disappearance in accordance with the death of Harry's parents, so as to reinforce the idea that their death had somehow changed the tides of Voldemort's plans.

Indeed, it had, but it had been purely luck and chance on the Dark Lord's part that Sirius happened to be there as a scapegoat, and was feared because of what he had to Peter Pettigrew. Hermione, however, was aware of the fact that the only reason Sirius had killed Pettigrew was because he knew that it was the rat who had betrayed the location of the Potter's to Voldemort. Her Master had timed the attack on the Potter's house with Sirius's visit to warn them of danger. The entire situation was so messed up that it made Hermione's head hurt just thinking about the complexity of it.

She put on a sympathetic face and patted Harry's knee. "I know that must be hard for you."

Ron was noticably silent. For all he knew, it was just hard for Harry to discuss the death of his parents. He knew the story just as the public did - that Sirius was the murderer.

Harry nodded again, pushing his glasses up his nose and looking down at his hands. "I'll have to do it. If I don't, he'll be furious. I owe it to him anyway. It will help me get into place with the Ministry, particuarly if Fudge is present to converse with me during the interview. The public will love it. I'll need to speak to Severus about this, as well."

She nodded, seeing the logic in the interview. "Do it," she said. "It will make things easier on Ron's family, at least. The fact that he's so closely associated with you and the fact that he's been an integral part in your life means the Dark Lord will ease up the pressure on his parents. Just mention how helpful he's been for you."

Ron scoffed. "That will do shit all, Hermione. Our family still has nothing on the Malfoy's." It was then that his eyes lit up and he turned to Hermione. "Wait, you're working with him! Can you get me some information? I could pass it on the my parents and then we could actually make some progress so the threat is lessened. Merlin, would that ease the tension," Ron begged.

Hermione mulled this over in her head. She could tell the Dark Lord that the progress of her investigation would come to him through the Weasley's simply on the basis that she was afraid to be found out. It would mean less time worrying about reporting back to him, and it would certainly ease the pressure the Weasley's had been experiencing from the Dark Lord as he pressed them to locate the Malfoy's residency. Not only this, but it would throw off any suspicions that she herself was working for the Dark Lord - to any other Slytherin, it would appear that she was merely helping her friend.

She nodded briefly. "Just know that his father is investigating the Muggle attacks, and has a good connection with Fudge. That's all I've gotten so far, just in passing conversation."

Ron grinned and planted a huge kiss on her forehead. "You're an angel, 'Mione. I'll go and call Mum and Dad."

With that, he lankily ran up the stairs into the boy's dorm and slammed the door shut behind him, leaving Harry and Hermione before the fire.

"How am I supposed to do an interview on their death when I don't even know if it's the truth?" Harry asked her, his green eyes wide with concern.

"You need to do it. Otherwise you know you will pay the price," she said sadly. They all knew the relentless cruelty that the Dark Lord wielded without mercy. "I need to go finish up some drawings, I'll come down in about an hour."

She gave Harry a soft peck on the cheek, and left him to his thoughts.

When she got to the girl's dorm, it was noticably empty yet again. She locked the door and placed her usual silencing spell, then headed over to the fireplace and stuck her head through the fire to the study where she knew Voldemort would be waiting on her call.

"My Lord, I have a new plan I would like to discuss with you, if you would permit."

The Dark Lord turned and looked imperiously down at her, mild curiosity lighting his snake-like face. "Indeed. Speak," he commanded.

Hermione swallowed nervously. "My Lord, I fear being found out by Draco that I am reporting back to you. Indeed, using this fireplace to communicate with you everyday is a danger in itself. I was thinking rather that I would report my findings on the Malfoy's to the Weasley's and thus they could pass this information on to you, as well as being capable of following up leads that are external to Hogwarts and therefore that I cannot gain access to."

Voldemort appeared to mull over this for a moment, the met his red gaze with Hermione's. "Step through the fireplace, girl. I wish to speak to you in the flesh."

She felt her heartrate increase - never had she been asked to direcly stand in the presence of her Master. Nonetheless, she obeyed, knowing her concealment charm would protect her from detection as she left the Hogwart's premises.

She entered into the study, and immediately it hit her how surprisingly warm the place was. It was still dark, however, but her eyes need not strain to see the pale face of the Dark Lord.

He walked towards her, and she realize then how incredibly tall the Dark Lord was. "Hermione, you have done well. This plan of yours is safe and I agree that it would be more secure this way. However, do not think I do not see through your idea - you wish to assist the Weasley's in their mission to me, do you not?"

A cold sweat broke out over her forehead, but she nodded nonetheless. "Of course, my Lord. They are my friends, but it cannot be denied that a group effort would certainly yield better and swifter results."

Voldemort nodded. "Very well," he hissed. "The other reason I asked you here is that there is something more I wish for you to do for me."

Hermione waited in silence as the Dark Lord walked to the window to look out upon the estate that his family had left behind.

"It has come to my attention that Draco, according to Snape, at least, is quite keen on your attentions, if I am not correct," mused the Dark Lord.

Hermione's brows flew up, but then again she ought not be so surprised - Draco's eyes had followed her for years and years. "I supposed," she admitted lightly.

Her Master turned to her with a dark smile on his face, one that made her shiver. "I wish for you to... seduce the boy. Make him fall in love with you, and this way he will trust you completely. I trust you do not feel affection for such a horrendous Gryffindor, and this shall be no issue?" The underlying threat was clear. _Return his affections but only pretend, lest you want your parents dead._

She swallowed nervously. "It can be done, my Lord. But it will take time. If I act as though I am too eager, it will cause suspicion."

"Of course. You have six months, in that case. You will report to me intermittently, but not everyday as previously required. I expect a report every fortnight. Continue bringing me information on Harry and certainly convey information about Malfoy's family to the Weasley's, but I will be needing information on whether the Malfoy boy has fallen for you or not."

Hermione nodded, but was still confused. "My Lord, with all due respect, may I ask exactly why you want me to make Malfoy fall in love with me?" Her heart stammered in fear of the answer.

Voldemort took a step towards her, his smile widening on his face. "Because," he murmured, "once he is in love with you, it will be effortlessly easy to kill him and gain access to his parents."

She stood there in shock. "Kill Draco?" she repeated.

"Yes, girl. If this is an issue then you can say goodbye to your parents," her Master hissed angrily, his eyes flaring.

She put on a stone face and shook her head. "Not at all, my Lord. Your wish is my command. But I thought the plan was to gain access to the Malfoy's home and find a way to blackmail them into joining you?"

Voldemort shook his head slowly. "I have decided it would be a better re-entrance into the world if I murdered the most powerful and prestigious family in the Wizarding world. It will instill fear into the hearts of those who believe I am in hiding permanently because of those idiots who denied me. It is then that I shall get Harry into position with the Ministry to kill Fudge, though I am yet to inform him of his new mission. It is the perfect way to take over the Wizarding world. And, through all of this, your family will be safe, Hermione. As long as you do what I command."

Hermione thought about her innocent parents, living in the Muggle world where all of this passed in shadow without them seeing. She thought about the dream she had had, of their dead bodies at her feet and flames burning around her as Voldemort stood above and smiled. No, she would not have that. She would do as he commanded.

She nodded, an obedient soldier who had no choice about their part in this war. "As you command, my Lord." With that, she disappeared back into the flames of the fire, back to Hogwarts, where the weight of these new secrets and tasks forced her to her knees as she vomited up the little food she had eaten that day.

_What am I getting myself into?_ was the last thing she thought before her body gave in on itself and she passed out before the fire, her mind spinning into darkness where the only thing she could see was a pair of silver-grey eyes.

* * *

A/N: Hey guys! Sorry it took so long for the second chapter to come up, but I put a lot of work into this one and I started the third so I'll update really soon. Please review so I know how I'm going, I don't want to disappoint and would love to hear your feedback. If you have any questions or you want to help me out, message me on tumblr at ** .com**

Much love to all of you who have waited so patiently, be expecting more very soon!

Love from Ella


	3. Chapter 3

Saturday morning rose with bright sunlight and a light breeze dusting over the Hogwarts grounds. Draco awoke calmly, his pulse steady and his silver eyes lighting on the ceiling of his four-poster bed. His dream had been heavenly, a thing beyond what he normally had dreamed. If he closed his eyes again, he could picture Hermione's smile behind his eyelids. She had been happy in his dream. It hadn't been anything complicated: his dream had consisted of her lying by his side, both of them swathed in perfectly pristine white sheets, and she had been smiling, her curls tangled around his fingers as he held her, felt her warmth against his skin. She had looked healthy, like she had before she had started falling apart for whatever reason.

Shaking the remnants of his dream reluctantly, Draco arose to find the rest of his dorm already awake. Blaise and his fellow teammates were dressing for Quidditch. The match was against Slytherin today, and Draco knew he would have his work cut out for him. He'd been observing Potter and his team during training, and their skill was quite incredible. Nonetheless, Draco had confidence in his team, as well as in his skill as Gryffindor Seeker.

"Ready to kick some Slytherin tail, Draco?" Blaise asked, slapping his hand on Draco's shoulder with a grin.

Draco couldn't help but smile, feeling the familiar beginning of the rush of adrenaline that came with every game he played. "Of course, man. Potter and Weasley are going to have their work cut out for them, am I right boys?" he pronounced, looking around at the other boys.

The yell was answered, and he could hear Pansy rallying the girls in the other room. It was custom for the Gryffindor teams to get together and rally against whomever they were playing. Draco dressed quickly and grabbed his broom from his trunk, rushing out the dorm door to join his teammates in the common room, where glasses of butter beer were being raised.

"There's our illustrious Captain!" yelled Blaise, handing Draco a glass.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, today we face our greatest enemy - The Slytherin Serpents. And, like always, we're going to kick some ass out there. Fuck the snakes, we can beat those bastards! Who's with me?" Draco yelled, raising his glass.

The resounding yell through the common room sent a rush through Draco's blood, and despite the excitement over the game, he was more excited about another prospect: Hermione would be there watching.

* * *

Hermione woke tiredly on Saturday morning the sound of chatter outside her curtain. She felt drawn and stretched out, but she knew she had a job to do.

Her conversation with the Dark Lord had left her drained. After she had passed out, she'd woken ten minutes later to find herself collapsed on the ground in her own vomit. Reeking of stomach acid, she'd shakily heaved herself to her feet and cleaned up the mess on the floor with her wand. She'd looked briefly at the fireplace where she'd had her meeting with Voldemort, then hurried to the bathroom before anyone found her so she could clean herself up. She'd looked pale and near death in the mirror. When she'd removed her clothing to clean it and get in the shower, she'd nearly passed out again from shock: her ribs were jutting out, and she could count them clearly. Her chest bones were visible, too, and when she'd pincher her stomach she hadn't been able to grasp anything. Her collarbones cast shadows over her chest. When had she gotten so thin? She didn't even realize that she hadn't been eating enough.

"Hermione, are you coming? We need to get down to the pitch if we want good seats! Harry and Ron will never forgive you for being late," came the voice of one of the other Slytherin girls.

"I'll be down in five minutes!" she called back as she sat up.

Reaching for her wand, she realized she needed to make herself look more than presentable today. If she were to carry out her mission and get Draco into the right kind of position to get him to the Dark Lord, then she needed to make sure he fell head over heels in love with her. She knew he was already noticing her - wanting to befriend her, pushing her hair out of her face the way he had done yesterday. The thought alone made her blush at how gentle he had been, and how bright his eyes had shone, almost glowing like luminescent bulbs.

Shaking herself of the thought, she raised her wand and cast a spell that smoothed and shined her hair, making her curls bouncier and soft to the touch. Grabbing the small mirror she kept by her bed, she took a quick look at her reflection - drawn and pale. Her hair looked shiny and healthy, unlike the rest of her. With a heavy sigh, she used her wand to charm her face with a bit of makeup, making her look a little livelier. She made sure her lips were slightly pink so her pallor didn't show through.

Hermione pulled herself out of bed and put on a pair of jeans and her favorite worn grey jumper. Randomly, she thought about how the grey matched the silvery color of Draco's eyes. The thought caused a blush to form on her cheeks. She quickly wrapped her Slytherin scarf around her neck and ran down the stairs, through the nearly empty common room, and up the staircase to the entrance hall of Hogwarts.

"Hello, Hermione," came a dreamy voice behind her.

She turned and smiled when she saw Luna. "Hi, Luna. Would you like to come and sit with us for the match? Dean and I have some lollipops, and I'm sure Harry would love to have you in the Slytherin crowd."

Luna offered a soft smile. "That would be lovely, Hermione. Thank you."

"There you are!" Dean called from in front of Hermione.

"Sorry, I woke up late," she replied, as they started towards the Quidditch pitch along with a stream of other students. The noise around them was competitive but friendly, with people making bets about whether Slytherin or Gryffindor, the greatest rival Houses, would win this match. Hermione could hear people mentioning Draco and Harry's names amongst conversations, excited about the match because their competition was always the fiercest.

Luna and Dean were talking amiably about the new sweets that had been released in Honeydukes, and which ones they were to purchase upon the next Hogsmeade visit. Hermione smiled and joined in the conversation, despite her exhaustion. She needed to maintain the image that she was lively and well, not drowning in her problems.

They took their seats in the stadium just as the players started to zoom out on their brooms. Hermione yelled her support for her Slytherin's, secretly keeping an eye on the blur of platinum blond hair that whizzed around and came to a halt in front of the Gryffindor stands, a fist raised and a radiant smile on his face. Hermione went still when she realized he had turned to look at her, his silver eyes excitedly hovering on where she sat in the crowd. She felt herself blush, and broke the eye contact to yell her support for Harry and Ron.

"Welcome! Welcome to the famed Slytherin versus Gryffindor match! The weather is perfect playing condition, and we are set to start the game with Madame Hooch just about to release the quaffel to the players." The announcer was a chipper third year called Liam Frankson. His voice rang out gleefully across the crowd. "And, they're off!"

Hermione watched eagerly as Madame Hooch released the ball and the players blurred into action. Harry and Draco hovered above, their eyes scanning the crowd. She gasped as she watched Draco make a dive, pulling up just before he hit the ground to circle the bottom of the pitch, his eyes sharply scanning the grounds below for the Snitch. Harry hadn't moved, though his green eyes followed Draco's movements briefly before he returned to looking for the tiny golden ball.

The game went on, with Slytherin scoring two goals in the first ten minutes of the game. Ron was playing brilliantly, keeping each Gryffindor ball out of the rings, and making sure that they didn't gain an advantage. A shout went out from the Slytherin's when a bludger hurtled towards Ron, nearly bowling him off his broom. In that moment, the Gryffindor's scored a goal.

Thirty minutes into the game, and the players were starting to get rougher on one another. Bludgers were flying overheads and nearly nipping the Seeker's on the handles of their brooms. The scores were sitting at one hundred to one hundred and forty, with Slytherin taking the advantage.

"And it looks like the Seeker's have spotted the Snitch! The Malfoy-Potter race is on!" came Liam's voice over the speaker.

Everyone looked around the stadium, spotting a red and green blur side by side, racing after a tiny golden speck with their hands outstretched. Every Slytherin-Gryffindor game had come to this point: they always ended up head-to-head, each one yearning to feel the cool touch of that metal in his hand.

Hermione stood, anxiously watching as Harry and Draco jostled each other, each one trying desperately to get that one-inch ahead. Her heart felt like it was frozen as she watched them inch closer to the Snitch. With a blur, the Snitch arched upwards and into the sky, the two players following sharply. She gasped as the Snitch did a twist and flew horizontally off to the right, causing Harry and Draco to twirl on their brooms, flying upside down for a split second and still neck and neck. Adrenaline coursing through her veins, Hermione watched as they went for the final reach, their fingers brushing the wings of the Snitch and then...

All of a sudden, Draco and Harry were tumbling off their brooms and onto the grass of the pitch, rolling head over heels as they landed roughly on the ground, their brooms behind them.

Hermione held her breath along with everyone else in the stadium, awaiting the announcement of who had succeeded this time around. And then she saw a platinum blond head raised, a sparkling smile across his face, his eyes shining like the stars as Draco stood and raised his hand, the golden wings of the Snitch glittering and flitting between his fingers.

An enormous yell went out from the Gryffindor stands, where they threw their scarves into the sky along with confetti of red and gold paper. The Slytherin's surrounding Hermione groaned and sat back in their chairs, some already starting to leave to go back to the Hall for brunch.

Hermione didn't make a noise, though internally she was celebrating Draco's win. She knew it would be strategically better for her. She'd been there to see his win, something that was crucial to her mission.

Her eyes quickly went to Harry, who was sitting on the ground where he had landed with his head in his hands, gripping his hair tightly between his fists. She knew what was coming - the rage. She glanced at where Luna had been sitting and realized she was already gone, on her way down to the pitch to get Harry in the clear. Looking back, she saw Ron kneeling in front of his friend, gesticulating as he desperately tried to get through.

This was Harry's curse. Along with his fame and the damn scar on his forehead from the explosion that made him so noticeable, he was cursed with a chemical imbalance in his brain. Muggle psychologists would call it bipolar disorder, Hermione knew.

When triggered, Harry could fall head long into an anger and depression that knew no bounds. He would hurt inside; she'd heard him say once. It was true that he was on a potion to help balance the chemical in his brain, but like everything, it was never one hundred percent. When Harry had a good day, he was either stable and happy or euphoric, depending on how far he was swinging. Today, however, the loss in addition to the Dark Lord's request for his interview with the Prophet had combined to make him dangerous.

Luna had made an appearance down below, her head next to Harry's and her hands resting around his shoulders as she hugged him close into their own little world, where only she and him existed, where he could be safe. From afar, Hermione saw the tension leaving her friend and she let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. He would be okay for now, at least.

Glancing back over the celebrating Gryffindor's on the pitch, she saw Draco's blond hair amongst the rabble of supporters. They had hoisted him onto Blaise's shoulders, and she could see him glowing with pride and happiness from where she stood, alone in the Slytherin stands that had emptied out rapidly.

She couldn't help but feel very alone in that moment, realizing that her friends were okay without her, and no one had noticed her absence.

It was then that Draco looked up and saw her, his silver eyes meeting hers over all those meters. Her breath caught in her throat, and time seemed to slow around her as Draco's radiant eyes glued on to hers. Draco seemed to forget the celebration that was going on around him for a moment, focused only on Hermione. She saw his lips form her name, and then he was distracted again by Pansy Parkinson pulling on his sleeve, excited as they headed towards the Gryffindor changing rooms, yelling Draco's name.

The moment broke and Hermione felt the world come back to her again, her focus returning to her. What was that? What was it about this particular boy, this stupid Gryffindor she needed for her mission? She shook her head, ignoring it, knowing that if she did feel anything it was forbidden and wrong, so wrong, given what she was going to drag him into.

"Hermione!" came a quiet yell.

Looking down, she saw Harry, Ron, Luna, and the rest of the Slytherin team looking up at her from the pitch.

"Are you coming back to the common rooms?" yelled Ron, cupping his hands so she could hear him.

She waved and nodded, turning quickly towards the stairs and running down to meet her friends, a plan forming in her mind as to how to see Draco again today and start work on her mission. Desperation made people do desperate things, she realized.

* * *

"I knew you'd be able to beat Potter," said Blaise for the fourth time in ten minutes. His speech was slurred, as they'd begun drinking Draco's fire whiskey in the middle of the afternoon. They were nearly through the entire bottle, and Draco was aware of pleasant warmth in his gut where the alcohol was sitting.

He smiled stupidly at his friend and raised his glass, then took a large swig of whiskey. They were sitting by the common room fire, just the pair of them, as was per tradition. The afternoon had been filled with Gryffindor celebrations and congratulations. It was now early evening, and Draco and Blaise were following their tradition of getting ridiculously drunk together - Chaser and Seeker, downing whiskey like water as a congratulations to themselves.

"When are you seeing Hermione again?" asked Blaise lazily, stretching his long legs in front of him as he slouched back in his chair.

The unexpected question caused Draco to raise his eyebrows in surprise. "I'm not sure. I think I'll be seeing her tomorrow. Why?"

Blaise smirked. "Saw you guys having a nice moment there on the pitch, all intense and full of eye contact."

He hit his friend clumsily with a pillow, laughing. "Yeah, so what?"

"So, it seems like she might be a bit into you, man."

Draco shrugged. "I don't know, man. We've only just started talking properly. Maybe I ought to go see her after dinner then, what do you reckon? Ask her to meet me up at the Astronomy tower?" he joked, suggestively raising an eyebrow.

Blaise sobered for a moment, then glanced back at Draco. "Maybe you should," he replied carefully.

Draco sat up and gave Blaise as much of his attention as he could muster through the haze of the fire whiskey. "Why?"

"Because, I think you might benefit from moving this forward. You've been after her for years, man. If she's starting to feel something, don't lose it. Talk to her tonight. You guys have only studied together, it'll be better if you talk as friends."

"You know," said Draco amusedly, a slight slur in his words, "for someone who's had as much fire whiskey as you have, you're surprisingly wise."

Blaise laughed and downed a bit more of his drink. "I just know how that goes, man."

"You do? How?" asked Draco, incredulity in his tone. Blaise had never had a girlfriend, and had never mentioned the fact that he liked anyone to Draco.

His friend shook his head. "It is a secret best kept to myself for now, my friend. But drink up. And cheers again, to a brilliant win!"

They clinked glasses, and Draco wondered exactly who was worth shielding for his friend, but the thought was soon forgotten when he realized he would see Hermione tonight. The thought made him grin, and he let the fire whiskey burn its way down his stomach. He'd probably need the liquid courage to ask her to see him after dinner.

* * *

At dinner, Draco's alcohol-affected eyes roamed over the Slytherin table until he spotted Hermione's luscious caramel curls. She looked more radiant today, healthier than yesterday for sure. The thought made him smile, and he watched as she talked with Harry and Ron, a smile lighting her face as Weasley talked animatedly about something or rather.

He willed her to look at him, the way she had at the pitch today, as if nothing else existed but the two of them in that moment. As if she could read his mind, she looked up and caught his glance, her eyes widening in surprise.

He nodded his head towards the doors of the Hall, silently suggesting that she should excuse herself so he could talk to her for a moment.

Hermione's brows creased but she looked to her friends and said something with a smile, then stood from the table and walked out the doors.

Draco looked to Blaise beside him, who had been surreptitiously watching from the corner of his eye, and gave him a nod, slowly standing from the table as his head span slightly.

Out in the corridor, he saw her standing on the first step of the grand staircase; her lovely curls over one shoulder and the light of the torches reflected in her prefect almond-shaped eyes.

"What is it, Malfoy? Something about the assignment?" she asked curiously, cocking her head to one side as he approached. She offered him a small smile as he came to a stop in front of her, his eyes level with hers where she stood one step above him.

Draco grinned and shook his head. "I was wondering if perhaps you'd like to come up to the Astronomy tower with me tonight. To celebrate my win, as friends," he offered. He smiled stupidly at her, the alcohol affecting his thinking. "You look really pretty in this lighting," he blurted, his brain obviously not taking into account that that was not the right thing to say.

Rather than be offended as Slytherin's usually were, Hermione laughed and blushed slightly. The sight of her laughing made his heart soar.

"You're drunk, Malfoy. I can smell the fire whiskey on you!" she exclaimed teasingly, a smile lighting her face.

"You're not going to tell me off, are you?" he asked cautiously, not wanting to overstep any boundaries with her.

She shook her head, and her curls bounced around her shoulders. In that moment, he realized just how gorgeous she was when she wasn't looking pale and withdrawn. Her lips were slightly pink, matching the blush that had spread over her face. Though she was still thin and frail, her face glowed in the torchlight, her brown eyes looking almost luminous in the flames.

"Of course not, Draco," she answered softly.

He felt a shiver run up his spine at the sound of his name on her lips, and realized he'd never heard her call him Draco before. It had always been Malfoy.

"So will you come to the Astronomy tower after dinner?" he prompted, hope filling his chest.

She thought about it for a moment, her eyes drifting over his face, which he was sure was flushed with the effect of alcohol.

"Alright, I will," she answered. "Only if you bring me some fire whiskey, though."

Draco raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I didn't realize you drank, Granger."

She smiled at him in a cheeky manner. "There are a lot of things you don't know about me, Malfoy. I'll see you upstairs at eleven o'clock."

With that, she breezed past him, her hand subtly brushing his fingers as she walked back to the Hall to rejoin her friends. He closed his eyes and inhaled, relishing her smell of cinnamon and dark chocolate as it shrouded him for a moment.

He couldn't believe his luck. He was going to share a drink with Hermione Granger, the girl he had been watching for years, on a beautiful night up in the Astronomy tower. With a huge smile plastered on his face, he waited a few moments and then walked back into the Hall, sitting down next to Blaise and falling into the conversation that was going on with ease, though he didn't really hear a word - all he could think about was Granger.

* * *

Hermione exhaled heavily when she sat down again with her friends, where Ron was still raving about the match. She wasn't paying attention to what they were saying; she was busy thinking about how her encounter with Malfoy would go. Had she come on too strong just before? She felt so heavy, so exhausted, but she knew she couldn't crawl into bed and pass out from exhaustion like she normally did. She would have to go and talk to him, alone, face-to-face. Thank goodness she'd thought to ask him to bring alcohol for them to share. Not only would it help her sleep, but also it would make her less nervous around him.

Something about the way his silver eyes rested on her made shivers run up her spine. It was nothing sexual, it was just so... intimate, as if he could see inside her soul.

It had taken so much of her energy, to act animated and charming in front of him. She'd nearly faltered when he'd said that she looked pretty, but that was evidently just the alcohol talking. Or was it? Draco's eyes had indeed followed her for years, she'd always noticed that, but she'd always thought it was because he despised her for beating him everywhere he turned. His kindness in the light of their assignment, and the way he looked at her when he thought she wasn't looking when they were working together, suggested that there was something else there.

Her stomach roiled at the thought, because she knew she'd have to take advantage of that, whatever it was, to complete her mission. The thought of her parents steeled her, but the thought of the way Draco would look at her when she turned him and his family over to the Dark Lord for slaughter weighed her down.

"'Mione?" came Ron's voice, breaking her thoughts. "Are you with us?"

She looked up at her friends and smiled. "Of course."

"Great, because we need to talk about the Malfoy's and Harry's interview," Ron said in hushed tones, leaning in towards Harry and Hermione where they sat to his left.

"What about it?" she sighed. The thought of discussing both those things only served to exhaust her further.

Harry pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, then met his eyes with hers. "Ronald needs more information on Malfoy to report to his parents by the end of the week. Is there anything you can give him?"

Hermione nodded. "I'll be working with him for the next few days, so that will be fine. We're meeting in the library tonight," she lied. "I'll get more information from him then."

Ron grinned and grabbed her hand under the table in silent thanks.

"What was this about your interview, Harry?" she asked quietly.

Her friend sighed. "It's been arranged to happen in a month's time. But a new order came through, something that I can't discuss here." His eyes flicked around the Slytherin table, and the anxiety was clear on his face.

Hermione knew what new order it was, and she was surprised Harry wasn't freaking out a bit more. Voldemort had already informed her of his new plans for Harry.

Nonetheless, she nodded, creasing her brow so she appeared concerned.

"We'll talk about it back in the common room. Just let me finish my dessert," said Ron through a mouthful of trifle.

Hermione smiled internally. She was glad that some things, at least, didn't change.

* * *

Back in the Slytherin common room, the trio had taken their usual place in front of the backfire. Hermione, as per usual, sat with her back to the fire, letting it warm through her clothing. Harry and Ron were sitting on the chair in front of her, hunched over their knees so they could speak in hushed tones between themselves.

"I got a letter delivered by owl to my window last night," Harry started, brushing a trembling hand through his tangled black hair. Hermione hadn't seen him this nervous since the Triwizard Tournament, where she'd held his shaking hands before he entered the maze in the third task.

"From whom?" she asked, knowing she really needn't.

"The Dark Lord. He's asked me to do something completely fucking off the charts, this time," Harry spat in a low voice. The stress was starting to appear now. He'd always been good at masking things. "I can't even tell Luna this one, it's so huge."

"Well, what is it mate?" prompted Ron. "You can trust us with your life, you know that."

Harry nodded, and then looked both of them in the eye. "He's asked me to kill the Minister for Magic when I have my interview. Fudge is going to be present, and I've been asked to murder him."

Hermione and Ron sat in stunned silence for a moment. Despite already knowing that Harry was going to be asked to do this impossible task, it didn't change the shock that registered deep in Hermione's core.

"What the fuck?" said Ronald, his eyes widening until they looked like they were going to pop out of his face.

Harry's eyes had taken on the measured, stony look that they had when he was forcing himself to hide his emotions, though his hands were still shaking. "I have to do this. This was his plan all along, don't you see? Get me to murder the Minister, and then take over through me. I'm his gateway into power. Voldemort will finally rise."

The trio sat there quietly, none of them quite sure how they should be feeling. This was their Lord and Master, the person who had been intertwined in their lived for so many years, the person who had been whispering secret commands into their ears for as long as they could remember. It made Hermione go cold, thinking about what Voldemort would do to this Wizarding world when he came to power. She still maintained the hope that her parents and herself would be safe, though it was becoming more and more apparent to her that that was an unlikely case. But how could she disobey? One step out of line and her parents would end up slaughtered in their home in cold blood, and it would be her fault.

Distantly, she heard the clock chime eleven o'clock, and it awoke her from her daze. "Shit! Guys, I need to meet Malfoy in the library," she murmured, waking the other two. They looked at her blankly, both equally in shock.

Hermione was used to having to act under extreme circumstances, so she was able to force herself to function. The other two, even Harry, weren't as lucky. She took their hands and squeezed, forcing them to look at her. "We need to keep going, all of us, alright? We had a month until this interview. We'll talk later about this. For now, go to bed, the pair of you. I'll see you in the morning." Planting gentle kisses on the tops of both of their heads, she raced out of the Slytherin common room and towards the Astronomy tower, where she knew Draco would be waiting for her. Forcing the thoughts of Harry's interview and her own mission aside, she focused on the color of Draco's eyes - that slate grey with a shine of silver. Oddly enough, she calmed, and felt a cool level-headedness come over her. She could do this. She had to.

* * *

Draco stood against the bars of the Astronomy tower, letting the cool wind whip his hair back from his face. He had downed more fire whiskey in the Gryffindor tower before coming here. Liquid courage, he liked to think. The thought of standing here with Hermione, sharing the view of the endless black sky, drinking together, made his heart rate rise slightly. He was nervous, but the alcohol dulled it away to a pleasant afterthought in the back of his mind.

"It's beautiful up here," came a soft voice over his shoulder.

He nearly jumped out of his skin, turning to see Hermione standing behind him, having climbed the stairs and approached without him noticing.

He felt his face flush just at the sight of her. She had her caramel curls loose around her face, the wind gently wafting through the strands of hair. Her face was slightly pink, as though she had run here, and her eyes shone in the moonlight pouring down from the dark sky. She was still frighteningly thin, but she looked elegant rather than scarily gaunt as she had the other day.

They stood there for a moment, just looking at one another. The silence wasn't awkward, but rather curious as they took in the person in front of them.

"Can I have a drink?" Granger asked, finally breaking the silence. "I could use it after today," she said with a laugh.

Draco smiled and handed her the fire whiskey bottle, feeling thoroughly impressed when she downed two gulps and handed the bottle back with a smile.

"You know how to drink," he observed, taking a swig himself.

Hermione drifted over the stand with him next to the bannister, her hair flying back from her face as the breeze got stronger. "It helps me sleep, sometimes," she admitted with a shrug. She reached across Draco and grabbed the bottle out of his hand.

Draco inhaled as she leaned close, the smell of cinnamon and dark chocolate over-powering his senses for a moment. He let her have the bottle of fire whiskey.

"Think you've had enough, dearest Draco," said Hermione with a smirk as she downed another two gulps of the burning alcohol.

He inclined his head in agreement, feeling the buzz in his brain that was evidently the alcohol.

Hermione leaned towards Draco, resting her arm against the bars, her caramel eyes resting on his with a soft intensity.

"So," she said softly, "Tell me more about yourself."

Draco couldn't help but smile. His eyes roamed over her face, from her eyes to the gentle curve of her lips as they arched into a gentle grin. Her curls waved over her face in the breeze, and her eyelashes cast a beautiful shadow over the tops of her cheekbones.

"Well, you know my father works for the Ministry. My mother is a socialite, and often invites people over. Normally work friends from my father's work and their wives, the usual. They accept nearly everyone to their afternoon teas on Sundays actually." Draco glanced at Hermione, who was watching him were those gorgeous eyes. "You should come some time," he blurted unthinkingly.

He felt the heat rise in his face and quickly took another swig of the fire whiskey. Hermione giggled next to him, but looked at him with interest. "Maybe I will," she said, taking the bottle from him.

His heart leapt in his chest at the idea of spending a day in his own home with Hermione. "Our manor in Chiswick is quite nice, actually. I'm sure mother and father would love to have you over some time."

Hermione grinned, her eyes sparkling in the moonlight. "I'd love to. For now, however, I will have to love you and leave you, I'm afraid. Ronald and Harry are waiting for me back in the common room. They're in need of help with their Potions assignment."

Draco frowned, but nodded nonetheless, trying not to let his disappointment show. Of course Potter and Weasley would steal her away from him at this wonderful moment in time.

"Don't look so put out, Draco," she said with a smile.

The way his name rolled off her tongue sent a shiver down Draco's spine, and he had to refrain from asking her to say it again.

"Will I see you tomorrow?" he asked, taking a step towards her. He was very aware of being in her personal space, but he didn't care. The whiskey had made him bold, and she didn't waver.

* * *

Hermione looked up from under her lashes at Draco, meeting his molten gaze. "Of course, Draco. Potions first thing in the morning, then the library in the evening."

His mouth twitched up into a smile, lopsided and charming. Her heart stuttered, the combination of his close proximity and that smile making her feel like a snake under a charmer's spell of song. She could smell him - apples and fresh, crisp male cologne that she thought was perhaps Giorgio Armani. The whiskey made her forget herself, and she stepped closer to him so their chests were nearly touching. He was fairly taller than her, and her eyes were level with his chin.

She looked up and saw curiosity and burning intensity in his eyes. They stood there, looking at each other, taking each other in. She felt like she was drowning in his presence, and she forcibly shook out of it. Ron and Harry were waiting, and she had desperate things to see to.

"I have to leave," she murmured, reluctant to depart from the breezy astronomy tower.

Draco huffed a sigh. "If you must."

"I'll see you tomorrow," she replied, forcing a smile to her face.

She leaned up and planted a gentle kiss next to his perfectly shaped mouth, then rushed past him and out the astronomy tower door, rushing down the staircase.

It was only when she was at the Slytherin door that she realized she hadn't even thought of Voldemort's task when she had kissed his cheek, it had just been her own instinct. The idea made her worry. She was to betray this man, and yet she found herself captivated. As if her situation could get any worse.

Muttering the password, she hurried into the abandoned common rooms and up the stairs to her dorm, where she was quick to shutter the curtains on her bed. Thankfully, Ron and Harry had decided to retire early for the night. She sat for a moment, deep in thought about what she was to do the next day. She would have to tell Ron of the news on the Malfoy's and their weekly lunches, and hope that the Weasley's would be able to make use of this information. She would also have to report to her Master with the news of what had transpired with Draco, and inform him that she was well on her way to making him like her, at the very least. The invitation to his Chiswick estate she would keep to herself, however. No, that would be hers to keep. For whatever reason, she was compelled to keep this for her own. She would protect him just a little, even if she weren't aware of it. Hermione would protect him for a little longer.

With this thought, she fell asleep, spiralling into dreams of silver eyes and a lopsided quirk of a smile.

* * *

**A/n: **Hey all! Thanks for reading this chapter, would love some reviews so I know that I'm headed in the right direction. Is the romance between Draco and Hermione developing appropriately? Some feedback would be glorious. The next chapter will be up in a few weeks once my assignments are out of the way. Uni has been hella busy lately.

Much love to all of you, and feel free to drop me a message on tumblr also if you have anything you want to mention: .com

Love, Ella


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